Remember to contact your student’s guidance counselor to set up your child's college
meeting. All Naviance
“Homework” MUST be complete before the meeting. This includes:
•Submit the Junior Year Profile Survey in Naviance
•Submit the Personality Survey (Do What You Are) in Naviance
•Submit the Cluster Finder Survey in Naviance
•Save one College Search in Naviance
•Begin adding colleges to “Colleges I’m Thinking About” in Naviance
College Fair
The
National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) is sponsoring several
National College Fairs in New England, which are free and open to the
public. This includes Springfield (April 3 and 4), Providence (April 5), and Boston (May 22 and 23). Admissions representatives from
hundreds of colleges and universities are available to speak with students
one-on-one concerning the college admission process and college life in
general.Please see the attached flier
for more information.Registration is
online at www.gotomyncf.com. You must pre-register!
Additional Summer Programs
University of New England Early College Program - earn 3 credits and experience college life. Visit website for more information: www.une.edu/earlycollege or email laromando1@une.edu with any questions. Tufts Summer Study for High School Students - Spend your time this summer immersed in college-level academics at a world-class university. You'll take classes with like-minded students, equally passionate about learning. July 5-August 12, 2016 go.tufts.edu/summer Summer at WPI - Pre-College STEM Programs WPI Frontiers (July 10-22, 2016 or July 24, 2016-August 5, 2016) for students entering junior or senior year WPI Launch (August 8-12) for students entering freshman or sophomore year find more information at wpi.edu/+frontiers or wpi.edu/+launch NYU Pre-College Summer Program for High School Students Take courses for college credit while experiencing life in New York City. July 5-August 16, 2016 Scholarship application deadline: April 1, 2016 nyu.edu/precollege for more information.
Whiteboard Youth Ventures - a student entrepreneurship company: Founder's Academy. Four week residential programs where students who are serious about starting a venture will be mentored and coached by professionals. February 1 for Early Acceptances, April 1 for Regular Acceptances Visit http://whiteboardyouthventures.com for more information. The George Washington University Pre-College Program 2016 College Intensive - Credit Programs: 3 or 6 week courses, earn college credit Summer Immersion - Noncredit programs: 2 week non-credit experiential courses summer.gwu.edu/precollege
Lasell College Fashion Boot Camp The five-day Boot Camp schedule is packed with visits with Boston's top fashion retailers and professional design studios, photoshoots and merchandising opportunities, and preparation for the week's finale: a Runway Show for friends and family. July 24-29, 2016 lasell.edu/Fashionbootcamp Open Houses/Information Sessions Northern Essex Community College Open House March 12, 2016 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Becker College Open House Saturday March 5, 2016 Register at www.becker.edu/openhouse Scholarship Triple-Impact Competitor Scholarship for High School Junior Student-Athletes Triple Impact: makes oneself better, makes teammates better, adn makesthe sport better Deadline: May 31, 2016 Apply online at www.positivecoach.org/scholarships For questions contact TICscholarship@positivecoach.org
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS JUNIOR
UPDATE, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR JUNIOR’S GUIDANCE COUNSELOR DIRECTLY.
The University Cap & Gown website is now available for you to place your order for your cap, gown, and tassel on-line. Please see www.gradgowns.com. Follow the "Order your High School cap & gown" link, which is high-lighted in red, at the top of the home page.
Any questions, please speak with Mrs. Langille in the main office.
SAT Dates May 7, 2016 - Registration Deadline April 8 June 4, 2016 - Registration Deadline May 5 www.collegeboard.org ACT Dates April 9, 2016 - Registration Deadline March 4 June 11, 2016 - Registration Deadline May 6 Job Shadow Agreement Form due March 11 https://sites.google.com/a/westfordk12.us/school-to-careers/junior-job-shadow
Don't forget to register for the SAT and ACT!
Duke Summer College Programs for High School Students
2016 Summer College for High School Students
July 10 (arrival) to August 5 (departure)
Get ahead this summer and earn college credit with academically-motivated students from around the world in Duke University’s Summer College for High School Students.
If you are a current 10th or 11th grade student, you are eligible to
apply as early as December 1, 2015. This 4-week credit-bearing program
offered by Duke University attracts students who represent the next
generation of leaders from around the world. Immerse yourself in an
international college experience by enrolling in this elite program
designed to provide the academic and residential environment conducive
to collegiate success.
Drexel University Summer Institutes offers high school students a range of academic programs during
the summer to explore what life in college is all about. Offering both
residential and day options, your students can take advantage of Drexel
faculty-led workshops, labs, facilities, and all the city of
Philadelphia has to offer.
You can read about
the Summer Institutes at Drexel University, including a complete list
of programs, dates, and application instructions at http://drexel.edu/undergrad/summer/
Nashua Community College is excited to invite you and your students to our Annual Spring Open House. Come see what NCC has to offer! Faculty and staff will be available to discuss our programs, the application process, financial aid, academic advising, and student life. Learn more about the NH Dual Admission program with the University System of NH and other transfer options. Tours of campus will be led by our students and light refreshments will be served.
March 3, 2016
5pm - 7pm
Upcoming Open Houses
Spring: Saturday, March 5, 2016
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Saturday, June 11, 2016 Register Now Open House Schedule 8 a.m. Check in at East Academic Building 8:45 a.m. - 3 p.m. Open House activities, including demonstration classes, faculty panel, student stories and more
- See more at: http://www.landmark.edu/admissions/visit-our-campus/plan-a-visit/#sthash.vankOtN5.dpuf
Upcoming Open Houses
Spring: Saturday, March 5, 2016
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Saturday, June 11, 2016 Register Now Open House Schedule 8 a.m. Check in at East Academic Building 8:45 a.m. - 3 p.m. Open House activities, including demonstration classes, faculty panel, student stories and more
- See more at: http://www.landmark.edu/admissions/visit-our-campus/plan-a-visit/#sthash.vankOtN5.dpuf
Upcoming Open Houses
Spring: Saturday, March 5, 2016
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Saturday, June 11, 2016 Register Now Open House Schedule 8 a.m. Check in at East Academic Building 8:45 a.m. - 3 p.m. Open House activities, including demonstration classes, faculty panel, student stories and more
- See more at: http://www.landmark.edu/admissions/visit-our-campus/plan-a-visit/#sthash.vankOtN5.dpuf
Attend UCLA Anderson School of Management as a high school student
Students can spend their summer taking courses at one of the top business schools in the world. The Anderson School of Management has a reputation for excellence and innovation in education.
Choose between our 2 amazing full-day institutes:
The Business of Media, Entertainment, & Sports Institute
The multi-billion dollar industries of entertainment, media, and sports
have become increasingly global. Students will explore the evolution of
these global trends and gain insight into the ever-changing business of
entertainment, media, and sports.
The Digital Marketing & Social Media Institute
Technology has created a seismic shift in the way media is consumed,
and by extension, the way marketers reach and engage consumers. Students
will develop and execute goal-oriented digital marketing and
advertising campaigns that enhance brands and create a buzz.
Do you know a student looking to jump start their professional acting career?
Let's connect them with expert Casting Directors, Wendy and Caroline,
at College to Career Acting (CTCA). Wendy is an Emmy-nominated casting
director that launched Sandra Bullock and Reese Witherspoon’s careers.
Caroline taught at Juilliard and was the Casting Director for the award
winning late night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Students can join us this summer at UCLA for our 2 or 3 week program:
Acting and Auditioning for Film, TV, and Stage
Geared towards students who are serious about acting, the course
develops the skills necessary to make it in the entertainment business.
Students will master the audition process, perfect their monologue,
polish their resume, and learn about professional theater, TV, and film
productions.
Is
your student looking to be a global leader or the next successful
entrepreneur? Our New York City programs give students the chance to
experience classes or an internship in the “city that never sleeps.”
Global Leadership & Social Change Institute
Effective leaders must be technologically savvy and master skills that
encompass local, national, and international issues to influence
organizational and social change. Students will develop the knowledge,
skills, and practical tools to be a leader in business, education, and
beyond.
Discovery Internships NYC
With unique opportunities in over 25 industries including medicine,
fashion, finance, and entrepreneurship, NYC is an ideal place for a
summer high school internship. Past interns have coordinated fashion
shows, learned about financial markets and securities, critiqued scripts
for plays and movies, and more.
Maximize
the summer at 2 great universities, UCLA and the University of
Michigan. Our Combo Programs combine academics, athletics, and
activities at 2 incredible universities to give students 2 unique
pre-college experiences.
Michigan and UCLA 5 or 6 Week Combo
Start the summer at the University of Michigan. After 3 awesome weeks
at Michigan, students travel with their friends for a weekend in
Chicago. Then it’s off to the west coast for 2 or 3 weeks at UCLA.
Students love the California lifestyle.
UCLA and Michigan 5 Week Combo
Would they rather start the summer on the west coast? Students enjoy 3
amazing weeks at UCLA, with a stop over in Chicago for the weekend, on
the way to Michigan. Students complete the summer with 2 weeks at
Michigan where they learn the meaning of GO BLUE!
Summer Discovery
1326 Old Northern Blvd.
Roslyn, New York | 11576
Tel. 516-621-3939
Fax. 516.625.3438 www.summerdiscovery.com
OPEN HOUSES
Landmark College Open Houses
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Saturday, June 11, 2016 - See more at: http://www.landmark.edu/admissions/visit-our-campus/plan-a-visit/#sthash.vankOtN5.dpuf
Saturday March 5, 2016
Saturday April 9, 2016
Saturday June 11, 2016
Find more information and register at:
http://www.landmark.edu/admissions/visit-our-campus/plan-a-visit/
COUGAR PREVIEW University of Houston Open House
Saturday, April 2, 2016
The University of Houston invites your students to experience the excitement of UH firsthand at Cougar Preview — our largest open house held twice each year — Saturday, April 2, 2016! At Cougar Preview, your students will have the chance to:
Tour our beautiful 667-acre campus, including a sneak peek inside our residence halls.
Learn about admission requirements, academic programs and more than 500 student organizations.
Speak to faculty and staff about your future at UH.
Bring friends and family.
Registration is Now Open!
SAT Dates May 7, 2016 - Registration Deadline April 8 June 4, 2016 - Registration Deadline May 5 www.collegeboard.org ACT Dates April 9, 2016 - Registration Deadline March 4 June 11, 2016 - Registration Deadline May 6 Job Shadow Agreement Form due March 11 https://sites.google.com/a/westfordk12.us/school-to-careers/junior-job-shadow
Summer Programs
Franklin University Switzerland will offer two courses this summer from July 13-28, 2016 for students who have completed at least 10 years of school (ideal for 'rising' juniors and seniors). Students can earn 3-US credits. The courses are taught by university professors. Academic student mentors support course participants both with classroom activities and in the residence halls. Alpine Ecology: For students who want to study and explore first-hand the various environments of the Swiss Alps along with their political, economic, and tourism systems. The Business of International Organizations: For students who want to study and discuss the activities of International Organizations in Switzerland, their goals, objectives and implementation challenges.
This is a great way for students to explore campus life in Europe. Our cohort last year was also quite diverse, with students coming from a dozen countries.
To apply, students would need to complete our application form. We require one letter of recommendation from a teacher or guidance counselor, as well as certified transcripts. Our final deadline is April 1, although we advise students to begin early as we have a limited number of spaces available.
Final deadline for scholarships - March 15
Syracuse University Summer College for High School Students
July 5 - August 12
Credit and Noncredit Precollege Programs for 2-6 weeks
summercollege.syr.edu/discover
Lesley University College of Art and Design Young Artist Residency Program
July 3 - 30 for Juniors and Seniors
July 3 - 16 for Sophomores
For more information visit lesley.edu/young-artists
University of New England Summer Programs
Early College Program for juniors or seniors
Visit une.edu/earlycollege for more information
Cornell University Summer College
Programs for Engineering, Architecture, Art, Hotel Management, College Success and more!
Visit summercollege.cornell.edu for more information!
Oxford Royale Academy at the University of Oxford, UK
Sessions in June, July, and August
Visit www.oxford-royale.co.uk for more information
Open Houses
The College of New Jersey
Join us for an upcoming Lions Day open house or one of our popular Campus Tour days when many schools are closed (but we'll be open)!
LIONS DAY OPEN HOUSES Saturday, March 5th Sunday, April 17th
CAMPUS TOURS Monday, February 15th Friday, March 25th Friday, April 1st
Registration for these events, and many more Campus Tour dates, is available through our visit site: tcnj.edu/visit
Franklin and Marshall College
Saturday March 5, 2016
8:45 am
RSVP at admissions@fandm.edu with the subject line Junior Open House or online www.fandm.edu/visit/admission-visit/junior-open-house
Seniors - Cap & Gown Orders Seniors, NO WORRIES if you were not able to order your graduation cap and gown while our vendor was at WA! Please just come to the main office and pick up the instructions for ordering your cap and gown on-line (available on the counter in the Main Office.) Also, please speak with Mrs. Langille if you have any questions, and please let her know if you will be wearing a sibling's robe so that you can be taken off the outstanding order list.
Here is a direct response from UC Admissions about their Fine Arts Requirements for Admission:
1 - Yes, two semester-long high school classes would have to be in the same discipline and sequential. 2 - Online high school level classes won't work, but an online college-level class would. 3 - A one-semester course at a community college would fulfill the requirement. 4 - Every UC school admits some students on an exemption basis, but those exemptions would only be for situations in which the student truly had no way of fulfilling the requirement. 5 - Score of 3, 4, or 5 on AP Art History, Music Theory, or Studio Art exams would fulfill the requirement. 6 - Everything would need to be completed by high school graduation
In his new book, “The Battle for Room 314,” Ed Boland chronicles his year as a teacher in a low-income New York City school.
It was the polar opposite of his previous experience — assistant
director of admissions for Yale University. As the class of 2016 eagerly
awaits letters from colleges, Boland reveals what really goes on behind
the scenes in this excerpt.
Working as a gatekeeper at Yale gave me lasting insight into the formation of the American elite.
My colleagues and I were sent to scour the country looking for the
best and the brightest young minds. In the fall, I went everywhere, from
Charleston, W.Va., to Kokomo, Ind., to Montreal, to the Upper East Side
of Manhattan.
I was welcomed with varying degrees of energy and enthusiasm. In
Ohio, an eager headmaster at a boarding school took me to a nice lunch
and toured me around the campus in his convertible with the top down. At
a large public school outside Detroit, I sat outside the cafeteria at a
sticky table chatting with a representative from a local cosmetology
school. Largely ignored by the students, we passed the time talking
about the challenges of having very fine hair.
Brilliance and stunts
After the recruitment season wrapped up, the admissions staff
returned in the late fall to New Haven and started the early-decision
process. We would spend hour after hour poring over huge stacks of
applications and green-bar computer reports.
We parsed transcripts and called guidance counselors with questions
like: “So far, there seem to be three students ranked number one in your
school who have applied to Yale. How do you account for that?” As a
first step, two staff members read each application and assigned it an
overall ranking of 1 (TAKE THIS KID!) to 4 (NO WAY!).
The applicants were an impressive lot. A girl wrote a brilliant
feminist essay — worthy of Harper’s, really — about gender and
socialization, revealing that she was a phantom serial farter in public
and yet no one ever suspected because of her gender.
An aspiring art major sent in a dazzling, poster-size pen-and-ink
drawing of himself suspended high over the campus on a pair of gymnastic
rings, his body forming a perfect Y for Yale. A Vietnamese refugee
wrote about finding solace in a school in Nebraska after a near-death
experience as a “boat person” when she was 6 years old. They all waltzed into the freshman class.
Being too clever could backfire.
A self-saboteur from Chicago wrote her essay about her fear of going
to the dentist — in backward letters, colored pen, and a spiral “Yellow
Brick Road” pattern; not the kind of thing you want to tackle in a
mirror at midnight.
‘An overeager Eagle Scout on the wait
list pitched a tent on the lawn of the Admissions Office to show how
ardently he was interested. I am sure he enjoyed Haverford.’ - Ed Boland
Having the president of Stanford write you a letter of recommendation
to Yale might seem like a good idea, but it resulted in a note from the
dean that said, “If he’s so enamored of the kid, let Stanford use a
spot on him.”
It was the kiss of death when the daughter of a prominent alum from
Columbus, Ohio, “discovered” she was one-sixteenth American Indian and
checked the box for Native American.
And then there were the athletes. After fierce pressure from the
athletic department, I had to admit a highly sought-after French
Canadian hockey recruit. He had crappy grades, dismal scores, and his
essay consisted of one sentence scribbled hastily in pencil: “I want to
bée a great hockey player.” To add insult to injury, he decided to go to
Boston University.
‘Reject the state!’
After the preliminary votes were cast, the Admissions Committee was
convened. Composed of faculty members, deans, and the most senior
admissions representatives, they served as judge, jury and executioner
for the nearly 14,000 applicants.
Because competition was fierce and time short, you had to make your
notes about the kids you were advocating for pithy and almost
Zagat-guide-esque:
“Another hothouse flower with a perfect GPA, pass!”
“Virtuoso bassoonist and published poet at 17, an Eli to the core.”
“Milquetoast, yes, but brilliant milquetoast.”
“AP English teacher (Yale Class of ’79) says she is the most original
thinker she ever taught, not just a ‘rara avis’ but ‘rarisima avis.’ ”
Any member of the committee could challenge you to back up your
recommendation on any candidate in your region. After you made your case
and answered their questions, the committee of eight or so would decide
a candidate’s fate on a wacky voting machine, rumored to have been
specially designed by some nerdy electrical-engineering major. It had
small electric consoles from which members would anonymously flip a
switch to light up either a thumbs-up green light, thumbs-down red
light, or wait list white light. Any applicant with more than a total of
two reject and/or wait-list votes was automatically denied.
Because we had to get through about 300 applications in each two-hour committee session, we developed shortcuts.
You could look down at the names of four or five kids from one school
who were terribly smart but not exceptional and say, “Reject the entire
high school”; sometimes you could go further and say, “Reject the
page,” and send 20 kids on a single page of computer paper packing; or,
most famously, “Reject the state,” when it came to sparsely populated
places like North Dakota or Wyoming.
Deciding which 14 percent of the applicants would get the golden
ticket was really tough work. Once the children of alumni, recruited
athletes, underrepresented minorities or regions and students interested
in underenrolled majors were considered, there wasn’t much room for
your generic genius. (By today’s standards, 14 percent doesn’t seem so
brutal. In 2014, Yale got nearly 31,000 applicants and accepted a mere
6.3 percent of them.)
Fingerprints of privilege
The great majority of students we admitted were truly brilliant and
had busted their tails to get there. But the fingerprints of privilege
were still present. You had to look a little harder to see them and
resolve not to let them unfairly influence you. Yale University’s campus in New Haven, Conn.Photo: Shutterstock
It was immediately obvious that kids from elite feeder schools had
been coached for years on their interviews, essays, and every
conceivable form of standardized testing. Many of their college
counselors had worked in elite admissions offices; their tutors had
Ph.D.s. They knew prominent alums who would write recommendations on
thick, creamy bond paper.
The letters arrived daily from white-shoe law firms, governors’
mansions, and — in yet another shock to my blue-collar brain — vacation
homes with proper names on engraved stationery: “The Manse, Little
Compton, Rhode Island” or “Coral House, Hamilton, Bermuda.”
As I tried to sort out fair from foul, Suzie, a perennial champion of
the underdog, gave me advice I will never forget: “It’s very easy to
throw the prize at the kids who finish the race first, but always look
at the incline they faced. That will tell you much more.”
Once the more clear-cut cases had been decided, things got fuzzy,
political, and sometimes unfair. It wasn’t news to me that the process
wasn’t entirely meritocratic. It wasn’t news to me that people were
willing to use any and every angle to game the process.
But it was a revelation about exactly what forms those advantages
would take and how they were displayed: sometimes furtively, sometimes
brazenly.
Old and new
One trip took me to an overstuffed wing chair in the august lounge of
the Yale Club of New York. The school’s motto, “Lux et Veritas,” was
stitched into the carpet, embossed on my coaster, and emblazoned on the
jacket of the old waiter who had grudgingly brought me iced tea.
I was waiting for Hal Buckley and Francis Alcock, the two Old Blues
who headed the local volunteer alumni group that conducted the alumni
interviews required of all applicants. I had been forewarned by the
dean of admissions that the New York group was chafing at the recent
difficulty many of the Manhattan prep schools had had in getting
students accepted to Yale, many of them children of alumni. Most of the
schools had been feeders to Yale for nearly a century; one even predated
the university’s founding in 1701 by 70 years.
I had talked to them by phone but had never met them in person.
Retired Wall Streeters, they were both old, smart, white and
pedigreed. With matching sets of wiry gray eyebrows, they could have
been twins. We exchanged some initial pleasantries, and then I braced
myself for the onslaught.
“We used to hold our receptions for admitted students here, but your
Admissions Office says it’s too stuffy and we’d scare off kids who
aren’t from typical Yale backgrounds. Have you ever heard such twaddle
in your life?” said Hal, the crankier of the two.
I scanned the room — a gorgeous mausoleum, majestic but imposing as
hell, filled with mean-looking old men who appeared ready to lower their
Wall Street Journals and scream, “Get off my lawn!” in raspy unison.
“Why, it’s such a striking space. Who wouldn’t like it here?” I was trying to get on their good side.
“I just hope we have a better record in getting some kids in,
because last year was, quite frankly, a debacle. A travesty, really,”
said Hal.
“I assure you I’ll do my best to advocate for New York,” I said with
conviction, at the same time trying to suppress the images in my head of
Statler and Waldorf, the pair of grumpy-old-men Muppets in the balcony.
Francis, who was somewhat friendlier, added, “We have a great crop of
kids from Manhattan this year. Let’s see. We’ve already discussed that
Westinghouse Science Competition finalist from Stuyvesant, the Latvian
fencer from the Trinity School, and the daughter of the dean at Columbia
Law School whose father is a close friend of the president of the
university.”
“Yes, I saw your write-ups on all of them in the office. Very thorough. Thank you.”
Francis leaned in and peered at me over the tops of his tortoiseshell
glasses. “Over the weekend, we interviewed an extraordinary young woman
from Miss Bartlett’s School. She has real Yale polish. Great
intellectual curiosity.”
I checked the rumblings of a groan in my throat.
He continued. “But she lives in the South Bronx. From a very poor
Puerto Rican family. Raised by a single, unemployed mother with three
other children. She would be the first in her family to college.
“Her name is” — here he slowed down as if he were ordering a
difficult-to-pronounce dish in a foreign restaurant — “E-mman-u-el-a
Gut-i-err-ez.” It was sweet how respectful of her name he was trying to
be.
“Really?” I perked up. I knew from my experience at Fordham how rare a profile like hers was.
I realized that I had judged these guys wrong. They weren’t just trying to safeguard spots for the kids of their alumni buddies.
They ran through some more names, handed over a new stack of
interview reports, and slapped me on the back as I got in the elevator.
Francis smiled. “Good luck in committee, Ed. Keep your shirts starched and your powder dry.”
“And get our kids in,” I heard from Hal as the door clanked shut.
A hard miss
I returned to New Haven a few days later and pulled Emmanuela’s
application out of a teetering pile. Her grades were strong and her
Latin teacher had written a glowing recommendation, but she wasn’t at
the very top of her class. She was a first-rate debater, though, and had
founded the school’s Afro-Latina Alliance.
When I presented her in committee, there was a long debate about her
merits and careful consideration of the dozen or so other applicants
from her school, each of whom could likely excel at Yale.
In the end, Emmanuela was muscled out of the running by some
superstars in her class and put on the wait list. The alums were
furious. I got a testy voice mail from Hal the day after the decision
letters went out. “For Pete’s sake, your office is sending us mixed
messages. You tell us to find gems like Emmanuela with atypical
backgrounds, but then you don’t accept them. What gives?”
Years later, I learned that Emmanuela graduated from Columbia, where
she did impressive work organizing Harlem tenants against a local
slumlord.
After graduation, she wanted to improve the lot of low-wage earners
like her mother, and she became a widely respected union organizer and
leader for health-care workers. In 2013, she ran for lieutenant governor
of New Jersey on the Democratic ticket. We had missed a true gem.
Landmark College Open Houses
